Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) optimization is a controversially controversial topic among men. Some say that it’s a “bad hormone” that causes hair loss and prostate enlargement, while others praise it for being the ultimate male hormone, since it’s significantly more potent than its little brother; testosterone.

Bottom line on side-effects: If you are having prostate issues and are going bald, its likely that you possess the genotype for those conditions, and that overly high DHT levels can in some (but not all) cases aggravate them. The gene explanation also makes sense, if you look at the studies which often show extreme variances between the effects of androgens on hair loss and prostate enlargement. Take this study for example where DHT was identified as a compound that had an important role in the development and progression of prostate enlargement, and compare it to this one where men rubbing 70mg/day of DHT-gel to their scrotum for 3 months showed no signs of prostate enlargement (no increases in prostate volume or PSA levels).

One factor that has always confused me about these claimed side-effects is that hair-loss and prostate problems become increasingly more common as men get older, whereas androgens are known to go down as men age. If DHT is the only culprit, why don’t all men in their 20’s have prostate problems?

If those side-effects above are possible, why would anyone purposefully want to increase the DHT hormone?;

Condensed version? DHT makes you look, act, and feel like a damn man, even more so than testosterone.

Before we get in to ways to boost dihydrotestosterone levels, here’s how the hormone is made:

Your body produces three different types of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase (type I, II, and III).

Those enzymes then convert – varying on the type – testosterone into DHT inside the penis, testicles, skin, nervous system, and many organs such as liver, kidneys, and brain (this conversion normally occurs to 5% of the testosterone produced).

1. Drop the Fat Pounds

You need to be at a reasonable point of lean to have your body pump out a good amount of testosterone on a daily basis, and also to make sure that the extra adipose tissue won’t convert most of that T into estrogen by increased aromatase activity.

Since ~5% of the testosterone you produce converts to DHT by the actions of 5-a enzyme, it would make sense to get to around 8-14% fat percentage in order to maximize that T production, which would also lead to higher turnover to DHT, since you would simply have more to convert from.

Bottom line:Get to the “sweet spot” of 8-14% body fat, which maximizes testosterone production, reduces testosterone turnover to estrogen, and reduces DHT turnover to 3α-diol. Mind you I didn’t even have to mention the plethora of other benefits that come when you’re lean, such as: better looking body, improved insulin sensitivity, better cardiovascular health…

2. Boost that Testosterone

Like said few times above already, ~5% of your testosterone will turn over to DHT thanks to the 5-alpha enzyme.

Therefore logically, as your testosterone production gets higher, so does your DHT production.

Good example of this are studies of men undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), these guys are administered exogenous testosterone and as a result their serum T levels as well as DHT levels increase (study, study, study).

Simply provide your body more of the “raw material” – which in this case is testosterone – and the 5-a enzymes will do the rest to convert a chunk of that to dihydrotestosterone. Simple. Effective.

This works with natural testosterone optimization, as well as synthetic alternatives (TRT). For the latter, a novel way to increase the turnover rate would be using the testosterone gel to the area of the scrotum (a method that’s proven to increase the turn over %).

3. Start Lifting

I have written about the effects that resistance training has on testosterone levels before on here, here, here, and here. This boost in testosterone alone is enough to improve DHT levels by increased turnover rate…

4. Sprint Fast

HIIT exercise or basically any type of exercise where you do quick explosive spurts is really good for testosterone, DHT, and growth hormone.

I have previously talked about HIIT training and its effect on testosterone levels here, and as you might guess the effect is as positive as it gets. Now again as ~5% of testosterone converts to DHT, this boost in testosterone alone should positively impact dihydrotestosterone levels.

5. Intermittent Hypoxia

Few months ago when I accidentally stumbled upon some studies about training in a low-oxygen state, aka hypoxia.

Hypoxia happens when there’s a deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues of the body…

…One example of this would be training in high altitudes, where there is naturally lower amounts of oxygen in the air. Another example would be simply holding the breath for a while or breathing into a bag, both of these are good ways to enter short-term hypoxia.

Then there’s also those goofy “altitude masks“, they probably work, but seriously who the hell wants to walk around looking like Bane in a gym?

Why hypoxia? What has this low-oxygen stuff have to do with DHT hormone?

How would one get to short-term hypoxia?That’s a good question, and honestly it’s kind of hard to answer. You could do bag breathing, or go train in a mountain like many professional athletes do. Or you could do “breath-stop” sets in the gym, where you would very slowly inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth during movements, making your body deprived of oxygen for a short duration.

Another study – likely more closer to normal conditions – had a group of men eating a calorie deficit (1350–2415 kcal/day) for 7-years and compared their hormones to men who ate at caloric maintenance/surplus (2145-3537 kcal/day). As to be expected, the long-term restriction of calories had caused the calorie restriction groups testosterone level to be 31% lower than the normal caloric intake guys had (the researchers didn’t test for DHT, but if T drops by that much its likely that DHT also took a hit).

7. Up the Carbs

It has been shown in many studies that diets higher in carbohydrates, result in more favorable free-testosterone to cortisol (fTC) ratio, more total testosterone, and higher 5-alpha reductase activity.

For example, this study from Anderson et al. found that when caloric intake and fat intake are kept identical, a diet where the carbohydrate to protein ratio was kept at 2:1 showed 36% higher free-testosterone levels along with significantly reduced cortisol, when compared to a diet where the ratio was switched to 1:2. A study by Volek et al. saw similar results, eat twice as much calories from carbs as you do from protein and you will be at a “sweet spot” to increase free testosterone and lower cortisol secretion.

This effect is even more pronounced in athletes, who will see major drops in their T-levels after lowering carb intake (study, study)

One previously done study from Anderson et al. examined the effects of carbohydrate on DHT, and found out that on a high-carb diet 5-alpha activity and dihydrotestosterone levels will be significantly higher than those seen on diets with lower amounts of carbs.

Bottom line:A scientifically sound amount of carbs for optimal T, C, and DHT production would be to eat 2 times as much carbs as you eat protein. So 2:1 ratio, which is why you can often see me recommending ~50% calories from carbs, ~20% from protein, and ~30% from dietary fat.

…But again, not too much. If you paid any attention to the studies in the above subheading, you can see how it’s obvious from the studies of Anderson et al. and Volek et al. that high protein intake is able to suppress testosterone, 5-alpha enzymes, and DHT levels.

So like said above, try to aim for carb to protein ratio of 2:1 for optimal DHT production

NOTE:It’s worth noting that soy isolate has been found to lower dihydrotestosterone production (study, study), so if you’re not a vegan/vegetarian, consider getting the bulk of your protein from animal sources, preferably red meat.

9. Fat is Your DHT Raising Friend

Study after study has shown that increased amount of dietary fat in the diet, results in increased testosterone – and as to be expected – higher DHT levels too (study, study, study, study, study).

This is not a surprise, since the “backbone” of every steroid hormone is a 17-carbon fat molecule called “gonane”.

So I should just pound all kinds of fats to naturally boost DHT then, right?

Not exactly. The types of fats that are most commonly associated with higher testosterone and dihydrotestosterone levels are the saturated fatty-acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty-acids (MUFA). When it comes to polyunsaturated fatty-acids (PUFA) the effect is often the complete opposite, a reduction of androgens.

Bottom line:Since ~20% of your calories should come from protein and ~40-50% from carbs, the remaining ~30-40% shall be reserved for fats. The bulk of your fats should come from eggs, butter, animal organs, and red meat, with moderate amounts of coconut oil, olive oil, and avocados. Also for higher DHT consider minimizing the usage of all PUFAs (mostly vegetable oils), these harm your testosterone, DHT, and also thyroid.

10. The Caffeine Fix

This small increase in testosterone should alone slightly increase the turnover amount to dihydrotestosterone, but that’s not all caffeine is capable of…

…In a rodent study, it was noted that a single caffeine administration (undisclosed amount) was able to increase 5-alpha reductase activity by ~30% via an unknown mechanism.

Another rodent study used human equivalents of 2-4mg/kg caffeine and noted up to 57% higher DHT levels.

NOTE:One possible mechanism behind caffeine’s ability to boost T, DHT and 5-alpha enzyme activity is its stimulatory effect on cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which theoretically should result in improved messaging between cells and hormones, but it could also be something else, all I know is that I’ll be sure to drink my coffee 😉

11. Organic Foods May Boost DHT

Organic foods might not look different, and frankly their nutrition profile isn’t that much better than that of many conventional foods, but when eating organic it shouldn’t be about what more you will be getting, but instead what you aren’t getting.

To clarify, I’m talking about pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. The chemicals generously sprayed on conventional – and in some cases organic – foods.

Several pesticides have been found to disrupt testosterone synthesis, DHT conversion, and 5-alpha reductase enzyme activity in the body (study, study, study).

Bottom line:I’m not going to be the woo’ster who fear-mongers everyone into neurotic avoidance of everything conventional, but it’s a fact that many man-made chemicals used to preserve and protect foods are also endocrine disruptors.

12. Use Sorghum Flour, Syrup, Etc

Sorghum (S.Bicolor) is a gluten-free grain native to Africa.

It’s not very common in Europe and United States, but you can still find products like whole sorghum poppies, sorghum flour, and sorghum syrup from various online retailers. What I’ve personally tried are sorghum pancakes, popping popsorghum, and making a tincture from the grain with vodka. The ways to use this grain are endless.

Bottom line:The high amounts of Gamma Linoleic Acid (GLA) in rice and safflower bran were likely the main cause behind reduced 5-alpha activity (remember that GLA is the most potent PUFA for 5-alpha inhibition). Sorghum on the other hand lacks GLA and apparently has something in it which is able to promote 5-alpha activity. Still remember that these studies were done on crude alcohol extracts of the brans of these grains, so eating white (branless) rice probably doesn’t have a similar DHT blocking effect, but safflower oil likely has.

13. Be Cautious with 5-alpha Inhibitors

This section of the article might be the most important for some readers.

Depending on your diet and lifestyle, you could be absolutely hammering your DHT levels with natural stuff like foods, herbs, and mushrooms, as well as things like prescription drugs.

Heck, some “T-booster” supplements are actually loaded with compounds that inhibit the 5-a enzymes, so no wonder why they can raise testosterone levels if less will be converted to DHT.

Below I will list you some foods, herbs, and prescription drugs that are known for their DHT blocking effect. Now I don’t want you to become neurotic with avoiding all that stuff because so many natural compounds can slightly inhibit 5-α, but if your goal is to boost DHT naturally, then it may be wise not to swim in the stuff below.

Previously I thought that this was due to direct suppression of T production, but then Mika from Anax shared some studies about opiates actually increasing 5-alpha reductase and the conversion from T to DHT (study, study).

At first this might sound like a cool idea to try, but at the same time, opiates can also increase aromatase activity, cause addiction, and mess up with the gut flora.

Bottom line:Opiates are a no-no for me but if I ever am in such excruciating pain that I need them, at least – admist all the side-effects – I know that my DHT might go up, haha 😀

15. Nicotine for Extra DHT

Dihydrotestosterone is eventually metabolized down into less effective form called 3a-diol, which is then eventually followed by glucuronidation and clearance via the kidneys and urination.

When it comes to dihydrotestosterone levels, a study of 20 college-aged rugby players showed that a 7-day loading phase – followed by a 14-day maintenance supplementation – led to 56% higher DHT levels during the first seven days, and 40% elevation for the following fourteen days.

One case study of a Thai male who reportedly took Red Kwao for “few weeks” and after that complained of a side-effect; too high sex drive, was noted of having unnaturally high DHT levels of 1512 pg/mL (reference ranges being 250-990 pg/mL). The medical professionals eventually tracked this down to the Butea Superba supplement and recommended him to stop supplementation immediately. The study reports that 1-week after the cessation of B. Superba the subjects DHT levels – as well as his libido – had returned to normal.

The effects of the above study might be caused by illegal “spiking” of the supplement with some steroids (after all this was in Thailand), but then again there was this comment here some time ago:

18. Phosphatidylserine

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid, a naturally occurring serine present in almost all of the cells of our bodies.

Its main function is to deliver bodily signals between cells and hormones, but it can also reduce oxidative stress,improve the testosterone to cortisol ratio, promote DHT turnover, and even improve cognitive functions.

Due to many studies linking PS with improved brain processing abilites (study, study, study), the compound has received a qualified health claim from the FDA stating: “consumption of phosphatidylserine may reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive dysfunction in the elderly”

When it comes to hormones and performance, few studies have shown that PS supplementation can reduce exercise induced oxidative stress in the body (study, study, study) and even increase testosterone levels while simultaneously suppressing cortisol during exercise, therefore increasing the T:C ratio by up to 180% (study, study).

What about DHT you ask? Well, there’s some evidence that in test-tubes, PS can increase 5-alpha activity by up to 2.5 fold (study, study).

19. Forskolin

Forskolin (Coleus Forskohlii extract) is often hyped up as a fat burner in the Dr. Oz show. Unfortunately this only makes the herb seem like a steaming pile of bullshit, since you know, Oz is one hell of a woo-peddler.

As you might remember from the coffee-subheading above increased cAMP has been theorized to be the reason why caffeine increases 5-alpha levels, and since forskolin is much more potent at boosting cAMP, one could easily think that its also potent at increasing DHT.

Some in-vitro research suggests that when cells are incubated with forskolin, 5-a activity increases, but so far there’s no in-vivo human studies showing what happens to DHT when human subjects consume oral forskolin supplements. At this point I would say that it’s plausible that forskolin could be a potent DHT booster.

Yes that’s right, a dirt-poor trace mineral has been shown to induce some significant improvements in your androgens. A study from Naghii et al. showed that 10mg/day of boron for a week, was able to increase free testosterone levels by 28%, reduce estrogen levels by 39% and boost DHT by 10%.

Another study from Mjilkovich et al. showed similar results with 12mg/day boron for 2-months, free-T increased by 29% and the adrenal androgen DHEA shot up by 56%, unfortunately DHT or 5-alpha levels weren’t examined in this study.

You should know that the creatine link leads to the the Amazon page for the nettle roots.

Also, there are natural DHT blockers such as castor oil, coconut oil, and some other oils for your hair, that can protect your scalp from DHT. I can comment on coconut and castor oils’ effectiveness for making hair shiny and healthy, but I don’t know how well they prevent hair loss.

Is coconut oil really a DHT blocker? I’ve heard both sides of the argument and not one study.

disqus_NNwFvFKoNE

Coconut oil can apparently do everything someone wants it to do.

William Lebek

LOL

Adam

Ali, you mention that you have used a tincture of sorghum. Is this something you bought commercially or is this something you made? And if you made it, could you just give me simple instructions, like do I grind up a certain quantity of the whole grain sorghum and soak it in an organic vodka for a few weeks, strain it and then administer? Any guidance would be appreciated! Thanks!

Eirikr Haukur

Number 7 is very interesting when it comes to DHT leves. I always feel that my facial hair grows better whenever I’ve been doing squats, dips and pull-ups.

By the way Ali, would you recommend Creatine for a 19-year old? Or should I wait a few years before supplementing with it? Cause I’ve heard a bunch about kidney damage and stuff.

davidrn

I would be interested in any research you’ve found on “optimal” levels of DHT. I have never tied anyone down to actual lab values they believe are in the safe but optimal levels.

samharmone011

Resistance training, lowering body fat and eating healthy fats and cholesterol are the only things backed by science in this article. Finasteride is a drug developed to inhibit DHT conversion. The rest is bro-science. Classic picture of Franco with gyno. Looks like someone tried to blur it out.

Adam

So, anything overlooked by mainstream for-profit “science” is automatically written off by you as totally lacking merit?

Anthony Robert Pivetti

I’ve read that olive oil can block dht. Is this true?

bahadur

Is DIM dht blocker?? I am eating huge amount of broccoli and cabbages to lower my estrogen but in one study on pubmed I found that dim is antiandrogenic. It stops dht to enter to the androgen recepter… That is really bad because I want to increase dht… Should I continue eating those dim foods?? Is it true that dim is anti androgen???

Adam

How much sorghum do you need to eat per day in order to realize the 5a reductase benefits?

JuJu God

Check out research on nicotene, it elongates DHT they say. There was this product out called nicolean that was non-toxic but can’t find it anymore. If you find it pls let us know.

Adam

Unfortunately nicotene is a no go for me. I was a smoker. Quit six years ago. I fear any use of nicotene would only wake those receptors up and leave me craving smokes again.

Bo Jangles

Nice article. I’m convinced that Boron, is an essential nutrient(and here in the states we have one of the lowest intakes of it), They’ve found so many ways that its beneficial(hormone, bone, joint….) for health) and almost no negative effects until absurd amounts are given. Boric acid is used in automotive oil as a colloid. It has the unusual property that the higher the pressure the more it lubricates. I think it may do the same in humans(it is concentrated in joint fluid). I had shoulder joint pain that prevented me from benching-3 days of 30mg/day boron eliminated it. Also note that boron is highly concentrated in the heart and testes.

JuJu God

The general internet says coconut oil is a DHT inhibitor? Is this false info? This website says healthy fats contribute to increases in DHT.

JuJu God

Wow Sorghum taste so good for me. I tried Oats and did not like em at all – will be dumping the rest. I than read up on how to make this drink called Rejuvelac w/ Sorghum. It tastes so good. Love this stuff.

JuJu God

Yes, but I rather eat the beans by steaming them, and chewing them allowing saliva contact time

JD Rahman

DHT is the most inflammatory naturally occurring hormone. Inflammation is something that must be avoided, not promoted. The human body converts testosterone to DHT as needed, locally where it is needed. Having DHT swimming around unnecessarily in your blood stream, causing inflammation throughout the body, is very bad for you.

It takes 17 days for the body to get rid of DHT from the blood serum. DHT in the blood stream binds to hair follicles on the head and causes male pattern baldness in men who are genetically so inclined.

(stop masturbation for at least 17 days and hair stops falling – I mention masturbation because unprotected vaginal intercourse still results in testosterone converting to DHT, but it is broken down into cholesterol before entering the blood stream and hence causes no DHT related damage. All other types of sexual activity, including protected vaginal intercourse, results in DHT flooding the system).

Testosterone converts to DHT upon sexual stimulation and with orgasm (male). It takes 7 days for a man to rebuild his testosterone levels back to his genetic capacity. Want to build mass and maintain it naturally? it helps if you’re genetically a high testosterone male (Ring finger is longer than Index finger) – then minimize sexual activity so your body can hold a near 100% testosterone capacity. The testosterone will convert to DHT locally where needed.

Bilal

I am having a terrible hair lose and after research I thought of lowering my DHT in order to regrow my hair… after reading this article I am in totally confused 🙁 dont know what dooooo plzzzz help

changed life

I hope this isn’t too late. DO NOT LOWER YOUR DHT!!! Unless you hate your dick, then go ahead. It will cause you to be completely impotent!!! Worst mistake of my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ramán A Johnson

Yes… lower your estrogen, cortisol and prolactin and it should improve your hair immensely. I know PERSONALLY!! Thought it was my DHT… nope… I had a pituitary tumor making me over secret Cortisol and Prolactin. My estrogen was high because of poor habits. That has been addressed.

Men should want High T, Mid – Mid High DHT and Low Estrogen. Most men with MPB have Lower T than Estrogen and High DHT due to the body knowing that DHT CANNOT AROMATIZE into estrogen.

It’s a negative feedback loop. Body sees high estrogen and it thinks you already have enough testosterone.

However as I call it a “protection mechanism” in my humble opinion, the body knows you are a man and it is overproducing DHT to keep you from feminization.

There was a study on gay men. Gay men who were not exposed to enough DHT, T in the womb and exposed to excessive Soy, Flax and other Estrogenic products…. They found that their hypothalamus did not develop the same as a straight man. Therefore you get gender conflicts and sexuality conflicts.

Lifestyle is your choice regardless and I’m a firm believer on live and let live. No Hate! However, with the hypothalamus not being fully developed one way or another, this makes the pituitary gland function totally different from that of a straight male or straight woman.

With that being said, genetics all play a role, but there are some guys walking around with HIGH Estrogen, T and DHT with a head full of head and all this can be due to how they developed in the womb.

Get your blood levels checked before you start playing with your hormones.

Rafael Contreras

What about bodyweight training? Thanks btw!

LuckyLegion

Compound body weight movements like pull ups or dips are the best especially weighted

M G

” muscle mass of a 17 year old? ”

Every 17 yr old i know is scrawny… But Yes, I’d love to have the muscle mass of a 25 yr old athlete!.

Leigh Goodwin

Good article.

Patrick

So on page 62 (page 2) of the study you cited on safflower it says:

“All plant parts were seeds, except O. sativa and C. tinctorius were

bran and flower, respectively. The bran of O. sativa was passed

through sieve No. 25 (0.707 mm).”

It is saying that the safflower extract was made from the flower. Safflower oil is made from the seeds. Is it possible that safflower oil lacks 5-alpha reductase inhibiting qualities?

Ohad Levi

Great content Ali!!! Keep up the good work

Divljak Pogani

i have boron in powder, how much do i take of it approximately in teaspoon

William Lebek

I actually know what causes male pattern baldness, but I don’t feel like I’m gonna tell it to anyone.